Chapter 8 — Summer On The Terrace

Minh Quan withdrew from the group on the day the company started the survey. He sent a short email: "Pause because the drawing has been used beyond the allowed scope. I am not technically responsible for any untested options."

Vy read the email three times. My asked if I should call him. Vy said no, then called herself immediately afterward.

Quan picked up the phone on the fourth ring.

“What do you want to say?”

“I want to know why you withdrew.”

“Because you sent preliminary drawings to Mrs. Nhan during the meeting.”

“I sent it to prove that the tray must be reduced.”

“You haven't asked Ms. Huong.”

“The drawing was drawn by me.”

“The structural information isn't just yours.”

Vy im. Quan continued: "They used that drawing to fix the advertising frame. If something goes wrong, my name is in the technical section, not the group's name."

“I didn't know they used it.”

“That's why you have to ask for permission first.”

Vy wanted to say he was making things more difficult, but listening to her email again, she saw that Quan was right.

“I will apologize to Ms. Huong and the group,” Vy said. “But you can't quit.”

"I don't give up on people. I give up on using my name for an unverified version."

The call ended. Vy went to Ms. Huong's room and told everything. Ms. Huong didn't scold her, she just asked who sent the drawing to whom. Vy gives email history.

“You overstepped your authority,” Ms. Huong said. “But you can fix it by sending a recall letter and asking the company not to use that copy.”

Vy did it right away. Ms. Nhan replied that the drawings are for reference only, not construction documents. Vy asked to confirm they had deleted all copies. She did not answer.

On the terrace, workers measured the four frame legs according to the old version. Quan was not present, Uncle Sau asked them to stop because they did not have a permit to enter the technical area. The survey administrator said they had the right according to school minutes. My recorded the time, Vy took a photo of the device but asked permission first.

Long received a phone call from the board of directors and was asked why the group blocked the survey. He explained they only asked for safety documents. No one answered the phone for long.

Ha brought up a box of rice and said the kitchen couldn't skip shifts. “If you quarrel, you still have to eat.”

Vy sat by the water tank, not wanting to eat. My placed the lunch box next to her.

“You can't take responsibility and punish yourself by skipping meals.”

“I made Quan withdraw.”

"The army withdrew because he chose to. You can bear the part of sending the drawings, not replace him."

Vy opened the lunch box. She didn't feel any lighter, but she was able to eat a few bites.

In the afternoon, Ms. Huong sent a document requesting to temporarily stop using preliminary drawings until there is technical confirmation. The administration office responded that the school would consider it. The company was not installed, but was still surveyed.

Vy went to the model workshop to find Quan. He was cutting steel for another group of students. He didn't look up right away.

“I sent a recall letter,” Vy said.

"Good."

“I'm sorry for not asking.”

“I know.”

“Can you come back?”

Quan put down the pliers. “I will come back when there is a procedure.”

“What process?”

"The drawings sent out must have someone approve; the data must have someone agree; everyone knows the risks."

Vy wrote it down in the notebook. “I will.”

Quan looked at her. “It's not for me to come back.”

"I did it because it was right. Whether you come back or not is your choice."

A period of silence. Quan nodded. “I'll see the fix tomorrow.”

Vy walked out of the workshop and found herself saying something she often couldn't say before: doing the right thing should not be the way to keep a person.

That night, the meeting was held on the rooftop without Quan. They make the process: drawings there is code, data has rights, maintenance schedule has someone to replace, all announcements must be read back to the named person.

Long asked: "Do I need to write down my own mistakes?"

My said: “If the error affects the decision, yes.”

Long nodded and added the entry "data sheet sent to the company" to the project diary.

At that moment, the heat sensor sent an abnormal signal. The temperature in the area where the trees are located is unreasonably lower than usual, only thirty degrees even though the roof is hot. Quan hasn't returned yet, but he said the sensor could be replaced.

Vy opened the sensor box. The connecting wire was cut and reconnected with black tape.

My looked at her. “Some people want nicer data.”

Vy holds the sensor in her hand. For the first time, she saw that preserving the garden was not just about preventing demolition. Someone is correcting the story right in the numbers.

Vy sent a letter apologizing to the group, Ms. Huong and Quan for transferring the drawing. She did not use the word "accidentally" to make light of it. She clearly stated when she sent it, to whom, and without any consent.

Quan read and replied: "I accept. Now do the process again."

The group that created the document warehouse has three levels of authority. The draft refers to the group and Ms. Huong; Technical version approved for management board; User data refers to the person in charge of access rights. Long no longer has the right to download audio files.

My checked the list, asking each person if they agreed to have their names appear in the diary. Some people don't want the name to be replaced with a code. Long did not object even though the board became harder to read.

Quan returned to the rooftop and looked at the fix. He pointed out that the exit was narrow because of a tree stand. Vy fixed it immediately, not asking if he would come back soon.

“You don't need to wait for me,” Quan said.

“I followed the procedure.”

"Good."

Vy looked at him. “Don't talk like you're grading papers.”

“I'm trying.”

They tested the sensor together. The new set is not connected to the network, only saved internally. Data is loaded according to a schedule signed by two people. The system is slow, but no one can fix it alone.

Ms. Nhan met the group at the library. She said the company is willing to apologize for using the photo, but needs the team to provide a budget sheet to calculate support. Long said the board can send a summary, not personal details.

Quan asked if the company had a wind load appraisal. Ms. Nhan said she was waiting for the technician.

Vy said: "So we haven't discussed it yet."

Ms. Nhan agreed, but reminded her of the contract term. “I was also pressed for progress.”

My asked if she had the right to speak. She smiled tiredly. “There is the right to propose, not the right to decide.”

The meeting ended with a non-committal minutes. Vy realizes that Mrs. Nhan is not the person who can decide everything, but that does not erase the company's responsibility.

Afternoon, My recorded a podcast explaining data errors. She read the part where the group had made a mistake, not just the outsider's fault. Quan provided the data, Vy checked the words. The episode is twenty minutes long, but they split it into two parts so listeners can stop.

A listener sent his thanks for understanding roof loads for the first time. Another asked why there were no photos of the garden. My said the photo was used too much; Adequate audio and text.

Long received news that his account was logged in from the company computer. He changed his password and reported it to the student union. No one can conclude who did it.

In the evening, Quan and Vy saw that the heat data in the warehouse had been accessed, but not edited. The logs show that the user is a guest account. They blocked access and sent a report.

Vy asked Quan if he regretted coming back. He said: "I regret not setting the conditions from the beginning. Going back is another matter."

"Uncle Would you trust me more?”

Quan looked at the board. “I trust the process we created together.”

Vy didn't know whether to be happy or sad, but the answer was clear.

The next morning, a new notice required the group to submit an explanation within three days. Ms. Huong attached the council calendar.

Three days caused everyone's study schedule to be shredded. Vy took the opportunity to write in the hallway between two classes, Quan made a loading board in the computer room, Ha called suppliers while queuing to buy lunch, and My sat in the library, listening to each interview to check usage rights. Long asked the student union room for a separate hard drive, set a password and kept a log of who opened which files.

They divided the explanation into four parts: roof status, garden operations, data rights and plans if they have to relocate. Quan is determined not to leave the safety section at the end as an appendix. He said the committee often remembers the first page and the last conclusion; If the story only appears in the middle of a pile of narration, the reader will consider it a secondary detail. Vy agreed, changed the layout, and placed the drainage map right after the summary.

My discovered that someone sent her a clip from the podcast, in which Ha's sentence was combined with someone else's laughter. The cut makes it seem like Ha is mocking those who oppose the garden. My wanted to post the full version right away, but Hanh said she had to save the evidence first. They download the original, record the time and ask the media department to confirm that the file has been edited outside the group.

Ha doesn't want to hear the cut again. She said people can trust something shorter because it's easier to remember. My apologies for ever thinking a good podcast episode was one with a lot of reactions. She sent Ha the new script, clearly marking which sentences were allowed to be quoted. Ha read it and then made two corrections to make her voice sound more like the way she actually spoke.

Late at night, Quan texted Vy a photo of the technical door. New scratches appear around the lock. He did not conclude that someone had broken in. He only suggested that from now on, every time the door is opened, two people must sign. Vy added that rule to the operations page, along with a warning: “Do not use cameras as a substitute for trust; The camera only records what has been announced.”

The next morning, the group submitted their explanation. They don't know which option the council will choose, but for the first time, the file includes the names of people responsible, data sources and unanswered questions. That's something that's hard to take down with a short post.